Four years after the Revolutionary War, America's independence was still in doubt, so a diplomatic mission was conceived to create trade agreements with the Far East and insure new national revenue. The man chosen to lead the expedition was John Kendrick, a master navigator and a charismatic captain of privateers during the Revolution. He established the first American outpost on what would become Vancouver Island (17 years before Lewis and Clark reached the Pacific coast), and encountered intertribal war in the Hawaiian Islands before entering the ports of Macao, China, and Kushimoto, Japan, where he narrowly escaped capture by samurai. Throughout the seven-year journey, Kendrick faced a subordinate officer who wanted to usurp his command, Spanish officials who wanted him captured, and a rival British captain who wanted him dead.

"Scott Ridley brings to life a fascinating and largely forgotten episode in the United States' early maritime history. A tale of exploration, desperation, and outrageous ambition, Morning of Fire is a terrific and meticulously researched read."—Nathaniel Philbrick